The Droid 2 is one of the most highly anticipated devices of the summer. And a leaked Verizon training guide for employees has surfaced that provides every bit of goodness that the new member of the Droid family will sport. Some of these features have already been leaked out, but it's nice to have almost official confirmation now.

The Droid 2 will release with:

Android 2.2 with Adobe Flash 10.1

DVD quality video capture with 5mp camera (dual LED flash)

3G mobile hotspot capabilities

1 Ghz OMAP processor with dedicated GPU

A notable feature is the 3G mobile hotspot, which we reported this morning would not be supported on the original Droid.

Uh-oh. PhoneScoop just got word from Verizon that the original Motorola Droid will not have Wifi tethering or USB tethering when the Froyo update hits this week. Verizon's explanation is that the Droid doesn't have a "WI-FI transmitter" and that there is "no connection on the PC side" given as the reason for a lack of USB tethering.

Military testing Nexus Ones for real-time translation in Afganistan

In yet another show of support of the open-source nature of Android by the U.S. Military, Engadget is reporting that DARPA (the Defense Advance Research Projects Agency) is in the early stages of testing translation software to help NATO troops in Afganistan. DARPA teamed up with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to make it all possible, and an-Android based program is one of several possible systems the duo are testing.

Google already offers the free Google Translate app [Market | AppBrain], but it would be no surprise that the needs of troops on the ground exceed what it can do. Let hope that this testing works out and finds its way to the battlefield quickly. I personally know a ton of people going into the military who will likely be deployed, and technology like this can only make their jobs that much easier.

NIST seems more than happy to make Star Trek references in their official video, which you can view for yourself after the break. [NIST via Engadget]

In case you missed it: Sprint's Epic 4G page

Sprint's "coming soon" page for the Samsung Epic 4G (see our hands-on) has been live for nearly a week now (like us, you likely got an e-mail about it). But it's still worth checking out if you haven't done so already. Currently being featured is (just about) everybody's favorite keyboard, Swype. [Sprint]

According to Sprint, it now has 4G service in 48 U.S. markets, and is quick to point out that it is the first U.S. carrier to actually launch any 4G technology. Still slated for 4G coverage this year are Boston, Miami, New York (which already is seeing some WiMax), and Los Angeles (which has seen a tad, too). You can see the coverage list in the full press release, after the break.

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The week in Android news

Another fun filled week has passed us by in the Android world, and as usual it brought a whole ton of new information to the table. This week we saw Froyo leaks and announcement dates for a variety of devices, along with some application drama and more. Overall, another great week for us Android lovers, and we have recapped it below.

HTC Desire getting its Froyo OTA today

Just as it was foretold, the HTC Desire is in the midst of its Android 2.2 update, with reports of the Froyo OTA blasting us from throughout Europe. Congrats, folks. And for those of you looking to go the rooted route, be sure to check out XDA Developers before you do anything. Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Apple gives up trying to make other phones look bad, pulls testing page

Maybe Apple finally figured out how to hold a phone, or maybe it just realized it was bad PR move to begin with -- either way, all of those "tests" at apple.com/antenna showing other phones losing signal strength when held have disappeared. The videos showing the Droid X and Droid Eris supposedly crapping out remain on YouTube, however (though you do have do dig for them a bit on Apple's YouTube page), so we can still go to them for a laugh.

Guess that means we can all quit watching our bars with a worried look on our faces, eh? [via TiPB and Slashgear]

Motorola sending the Sage to AT&T?

Motorola has done an excellent job with its Android handsets on Verizon. Case in point, the Droid X, Moto's latest to hit the market. Now, an FCC filing has shown up to suggest that they could be sending one named the Sage to AT&T.

HTC Desire HD 'Ace' and Desire Z 'Vision' show up in Vodafone inventory system

We're still not entirely sure what's planned for a couple of HTC codename-phones that have been floating around -- the Ace and Vision, but damned if they haven't appeared in an inventory system for Vodafone D2 in Germany as the Desire HD (a name we've heard before) and Desire Z, respectively. German blog BestBoyZ says the Desire HD should be similar to the aluminum unibody design of the HTC Legend (read our full review of that one), and have features of of the HD2 and Desire (whatever that means).

Now, any release here in the U.S. is likely to come under some other name, but it looks like these phones may be closer to breaking their cover. Oh, and do note the addition of the original Desire with its new SLCD screen listed. [BestBoyZ via Google Translate] Thanks, Patrick!

Droid X gets Froyo in 'late summer', Motorola says [#Froyogeddon]

Motorola has updated its, erm, update chart, and we've got two changes. Unsurprisingly after yesterday's announcement, the original Droid has been changed to "Upgrade to Android 2.2 expected to begin the week of August 2." And the Droid X now has "Upgrade to Android 2.2 expected in late summer." There's a whole bunch of Android 2.1 listed for Moto's other phones, but Froyo's all anybody's interested in now, right? [Motorola]

Android 2.2 on the Evo 4G

At long last, the Sprint Evo 4G is getting Android 2.2 -- nicknamed Froyo. It's the second U.S. phone to get it -- behind the Google Nexus One -- and the update will be rolling out over the first week or so of August, or you can give the manual install a try by downloading the file from HTC here, and visiting the forums for installation help.

We've gotten our hands on an official build -- though it's not quite the final build -- and have put it through its paces. The overall experience remains the same. HTC's Sense user interface remains on top of Android and is as speedy as it ever was. There new widgets and apps. A bunch of new features. And, of course, two biggies that come with Froyo -- the Just-in-Time compiler, and Adobe Flash.

So join us after the break as we dive into the Android 2.2 update for the Sprint Evo 4G.

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